If Manchester City’s fluctuations may have encouraged Arsenal, Liverpool’s blind bid to top the Premier League has maintained its usual margin of error. Will Mikel Arteta end up bearing the cost of Martin Ødegaard’s absence in the autumn? As Arsenal moved into second place, no one should doubt the playmaker’s importance or his understanding of Bukayo Saka.

Arsenal contains additional quantities. Their London derby win will probably be remembered mostly for the excellent set piece. West Ham’s disorganization within a record-breaking seven-goal first half puts Julen Lopetegui under renewed pressure. Monday’s win in Newcastle was well done, but public opinion is turning against him again. “We definitely have to do better,” he said. “We didn’t make good decisions defensively – that’s why it was a strange game.”

Those looking for creativity, freedom of expression and enjoyment may be better off attending the Abba Arena show elsewhere on the Stratford campus. Or look at Arsenal. “We did it crazy, we played so well at the start of the game,” said a delighted Arteta. “We got some momentum. Some flow back.”

Arsenal scored five goals in the first half against an opponent that impressed with both their clever set-pieces and their speed of movement, including three goals in nine minutes. Although there was a brief flicker of recovery, from then on there was either dissatisfaction or icy silence among the home fans.

The deluge began after 10 minutes with another personal triumph for Nicolas Jover, Arsenal’s special teams coach. As Saka formed for a corner, Arsenal’s players retreated to the other end of the penalty area and then charged for the ball in a pre-rehearsed move that resembled a blitz by NFL linebackers.

Michail Antonio, who was covering Gabriel Magalhães, was blocked, Jurriën Timber had thwarted Lucas Paquetá. Gabriel nodded in his fourth goal of the season, Arsenal’s 20th from a corner since the start of last season. Lopetegui was unhappy. “The first goal I thought was a block,” he said. “I think we were unlucky with the decisions.”

West Ham attempted a quick comeback but Crysencio Summerville was caught offside. Any equalizer would have been completely against the course of the game. Arsenal benefit from a solid, fit squad even after Ben White’s extended absence.

“We have a big squad with a lot of good players and I think we showed that last week and again this week with different players in the starting lineup,” Timber said, adding that further physical presence.

The corner routine was repeated, only for Lukasz Fabianski to parry in front of Timber. Arsenal’s second goal instead came from open play, with the old team of Saka and Ødegaard supplying Leandro Trossard. “It gives me great pleasure to create and score, but the greatest pleasure is to win,” Saka said afterwards. “We were definitely there again in the last three games.” With one goal and two assists, he contributed 18 goals this season.

The East End’s agony was compounded by Arsenal’s third goal from the penalty spot after Emerson Palmieri and Paquetá combined to bring down Saka. In the 36th minute, Kai Havertz scored the fourth goal, Paquetá gave up the ball. Maximilian Kilman’s clumsy attempt to stop Trossard’s looping pass sent thousands of Hammers fans rushing to the sanctuary of the hall. Those overwhelming concerns missed Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who scored his second goal in a week. Next, Emerson made a fleeting impression on the home fans by hitting a beautiful free-kick. Would Arsenal repeat City’s collapse against Feyenoord?

A frankly ridiculous half ended entirely in Arsenal’s hands. Fabianski was penalized for accidentally hitting Gabriel in the face after another corner – a rare offense given the antics of other goalkeepers. Saka decided to take the penalty and did so successfully.

Gabriel did not return in the second half and was replaced by Jakub Kiwior. Riccardo Calafiori moved to central defense and without his captain the corner kick routines were abandoned.

There was concern when Saka went down awkwardly, but he soon started again. When Ødegaard clutched his foot in pain immediately afterwards, there were even deeper concerns. The strength of Arsenal’s ambition lies in the fragile physical condition of these two players. There was relief that both had survived minor emergencies. Gabriel was lucid enough to lead the applause all day.

“The message was not to relax and to strive for more,” said Arteta, but nothing more came. Gunners fans could enjoy a rare half-certainty in a season where scripts are being torn up.